Naagin- In my heart (Episode 20)

She was lying on the ground unconscious with her hands and feet bound by a rope and her mouth gagged. A dishevelled look had took over her features. The sun had just risen, scattering his rays everywhere. It penetrated across the broken window pane and provided her some warmth. She fluttered her eyelashes as she opened her eyes. A banging headache gripped her as she was unable to move her hands and bring it in front of her to comfort her head. She wriggled her body in order to remove all the ties but all in vain. She started remembering the past night’s events.

She had laid herself on bed and soon fell asleep to wear away the tiredness that had engulfed her. She woke up with a jerk as she saw that dream again. She had jumped out of her bed and straight away headed towards the entrance. She was stopped by her buaji who had then questioned her about her actions. ‘I will be back in an hour buaji. I just need some fresh air.’ These were her last words to her buaji. She had initially strolled in her garden but unable to rest her unsettled mind, she decided to visit the temple, a few feet away from her house. She had shrugged off her bodyguard and went to the temple. She was standing there in front of the idol when she observed a silhouette. Wondering who could be that person at this time, she had moved towards him. Before she could sense anything, something had hit her on the head and she had lost her consciousness. She had regained her consciousness now and was struggling hard to free herself.

She looked around in order to recognize the place where she was in. Looking at the room she was in, she guessed it out to be a dilapidated building. She was not the one to give up easily and she started making efforts to stand up. Finally she stood up and began hopping. One, two…and she stumbled after two hops and fell on her one hand. A pain surged in her arm as she decided to stand again. Finally she reached the door as she leaned on it. She started banging it through her shoulder lest someone would notice these sounds. She tried for a few times but all the efforts she made seemed to not helping her. She sat on the ground exhausted and just prayed for someone to help her. A thought ran through her which instilled energy in her. ‘How can I die like this in an isolated room? No, I cannot unless I do what I want to.’ With these thoughts she again stood up and reached towards the broken window pane by hopping. She looked outside the window as she stood there shocked.

***
[Rithik]

He was sitting on the couch in her house with her buaji. He had his hands clasped, head hung downwards as his eyes were puffy and red. He had not slept the entire night and he had reached her house as soon as the morning rays had made their way. He had called the commissioner and sought his help to find her. Being assured of help, he was waiting there for any information on which he could lay his hands.

***

He was in his cabin lost in his thoughts, looking out of the window as his hands were rested in his pocket when someone entered. ‘Arnav’, she called out to him.

‘Not now Khushi,’ he answered her subconsciously.

She frowned as she heard Khushi’s name and clenched her fist. She took a deep breath as she said, ‘I’m not Khushi. I’m Lavanya.’

He turned towards her as he realized the situation. He sat on the chair as he started fidgeting with his files. He had an unkempt look as his eyes were puffy. How much he had tried to sleep the previous night but she had driven him crazy. He banged the table as he thought about this. He saw her still there and questioned the purpose of her visit.

‘I’m your girlfriend. Do I need any reason to meet you?’ she said smilingly as she kept her hand on his fist.

‘Cut it short,’ he quipped.

‘I heard that you are beginning that project today only. I mean you were about to get started after 2 months.’

‘Well, I suppose now I should start taking advice from you,’ he quipped.

‘No, no…’ she fumbled as she continued, ‘I mean Khushi is your business partner in that and you had decided to start after 2 months. So what happened suddenly?’

He stood up irritated by her words as he left his cabin and entered the lift. He pressed the button for ground floor as he muttered, ‘Khushi, Khushi, Khushi…why does this girl not leave me alone?’ He stepped out of the lift as he reached out for his car. He manoeuvred the car as he applied the break on reaching the construction site of his new hotel. He stepped out as he saw the dilapidated building in front. He turned his wrist as he watched the time. ’10 am…30 minutes earlier…Just because of her non- stop chattering. He leaned onto his car as he waited for his manager to reach their after completing all the formalities, along with the crane to demolish this building. He took out his phone as he dialled a number and placed the phone on his ears. Receiving no reply from her side, he kept the phone back frustrated. With 25 more minutes, he decided to check out the building.

He was checking out the building, when he suddenly stopped. He lifted his leg as he saw a phone lying there. He picked up the phone as he recognized it to be of Khushi. He ran frantically as he started searching the rooms there, oblivious of the fact that someone had his eyes on him. He finally stopped in front of one room as he saw it locked. Suddenly he saw a figure besides him and was startled to see Rithik there followed by some policemen. They broke the look as they flung open the door and dashed in. They saw her lying there unconscious as both frantically reached up to her. They untied the rope as they removed the cloth stuffed in her mouth. They both held her hand as both uttered ‘Khushi.’ They glared at each other hating each other’s presence at this moment. They both extended their hands to lift her into their arms. Rithik stopped as he jerked off Arnav’s hands from her. ‘She is my best friend and I know how to handle her,’ he uttered with gritted teeth and glaring eyes. Arnav jerked Rithik’s hands from her as he replied, ‘She is my…’ He paused for a moment as he continued, ‘She is my business partner.’ Saying so, he lifted her in his arms as he stormed off, followed by Rithik.

*****There is no precap because i do not decide in detail what will follow next.